Years ago, when I first tried one of these burgers, I was not optimistic that I was going to enjoy them. Boy was I wrong! These burgers were so delicious that we have been making them regularly ever since! They are different but definitely worth a try.

You can use store bought burgers or check out our go to recipe for The Best Burger. We use that burger recipe all of the time. Homemade is always better, if you have the time. Luckily if you have some store bought burgers all you will need is bacon and peanut butter and you will be ready to go!

The combination of the peanut butter and bacon are so good together on this Sweet and Salty Burger. The right amount of salty and and the right amount of sweet! I usually try and grab the applewood smoked bacon when it is on sale but any old bacon will do!

We usually don’t include anything else besides the bacon and peanut butter on these burgers! Well my son, as usual, always adds a few dashes of hot sauce as well!

Both crunchy and smooth peanut butter work beautifully with this Sweet and Salty Burger and I go with whichever kind of peanut butter I have or grab. My husband enjoys peanut butter on toast so I always usually have both. As far as taste goes though there really isn’t much of a difference.

There are so many options when deciding to make the perfect burger or Sweet and Salty Burger. Sometimes we just use a bit of salt with fresh ground beef and other times we use all kinds of seasoning and other good stuff!

Making the Perfect Burger

Some people just sprinkle salt on the outside of their formed burger patties but I discourage this practice. I suggest putting all of your ground beef into a good sized bowl. Gently break up the meat with your fingers and sprinkle the ground beef with salt, all over it. The rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon of salt for approximately 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, or four burgers.

If you are adding other ingredients to make your burger do your best to not over mix it. The more you mix ground beef the harder your burgers will turn out. After you have broken up your ground beef in your bowl, add the other ingredients, distributed as evenly as possible across your meat and gently combine with your hands.

Divide mixture into the number of burgers you need and gently shape into patties. As soon as the patties hold their shape set them aside.

Right before you are going to grill your hamburgers, make a shallow dent or as my husband calls it, a small crater in the middle or center of your burger about a half an inch deep. Essentially, you are making two thumbprints in the middle of your burger, side by side.

Some of the tissue in ground beef shrinks as your burger cooks which is why some homemade burgers tend to lose their flat, even shape. This technique means you will serve up a flat burger, every time.

I remember my mother always flipping burgers over and pressing down on them to make them cook faster, and I used to do it too. I now encourage everyone to only flip their burgers over one time only.

Once you have nice, dark, grill marks on the bottom of your burger, it is time to flip them over. No matter what, do not press down on them. You are just pressing out all of the juices and moisture from the ground beef into your barbecue and your burger will turn out dense and dry.

What is the right kind of ground beef to use to make a burger?

Most recipes simply state “ground beef” in their list of ingredients but, as any grocery shopper is aware, there can be many “types” of ground beef.

Ground Beef

The problem here is that whenever we buy “ground beef” at the grocery store the package can include absolutely any cut or combination of cuts of beef. Frankly, I use this kind of packaged ground beef all of the time to make this Sweet and Salty Burger, and so much more. The reality for me is sometimes these burgers can be greasy. Also, there is always a higher fat content when the meat is packaged as ground beef.

If given a choice……

Ground Chuck

Cut from the shoulder, ground chuck is always flavorful and moist and in my opinion is the absolute best choice when it comes to making homemade hamburgers.

Ground Sirloin

This cut can be dry but overall works well when making hamburgers. From the midsection of the cow, near the hip, ground sirloin is not as tough as round.

Ground Round

This lean beef roast makes for less than desirable burgers in my opinion. This tough cut comes from the rear upper leg area of the cow. If you don’t cook this cut of meat as a roast properly it will turn out dry and tough, your burgers will turn out that way too if you are not careful.

How to Grill the Perfect Beef Burger?

Turn all of your burners up to high for about 15 minutes. Next, you reduce your heat to medium and clean the grates on your barbecue and oil if necessary (see below). Once clean, place your burgers on the grates and close your lid.

Check out our Hamburger Temperature Guide below to see how long to generally grill your burgers for and what temperature is suggested.

How do you keep burgers from sticking to your grill?

1. Turn your grill on to medium, and then, once hot, scrape it with a strong and sturdy grill brush. Hot grates will clean much easier than cold grates.

2. Grab a bunch of paper towels and soak it in vegetable oil until the paper towel is soaked or wet. Using long handled tongs, rub the paper towel all over the clean grate.

3. The oil is going to burn off first so keep young children away from your barbecue! Keep soaking the paper towels in oil and rubbing it on your barbecue grates. When your grates are black and shiny they are ready for grilling!

Hamburger Temperature Guide

If you have a meat thermometer and use it for steaks, I suggest using one for your burgers too. If you want to grill or bake the perfect burger, every time, use your thermometer in the middle of each one you prepare. I have also included approximate cooking times as well to give you a rough idea of how long to cook each side. Hope this helps!

Medium-Rare: 125 to 130 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes per side

Medium: 135 to 140 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes per side

Medium-Well: 145 to 160 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes per side

Well-Done: 160 degrees and up, 5 minutes and up per side

Other Burger Recipes to Try

I urge you to consider putting these Sweet and Salty Burgers on your bucket list! Really. I couldn’t believe it myself and you won’t either! Hopefully! Please let me know what you think! I can’t wait to hear!

Sweet and Salty Burger

Ingredients

1burger, store bought or homemade

1/4teaspoonsea salt

2-3slicesbacon

2-3tablespoonspeanut butter

1hamburger buns, any kind, split

Instructions

These burgers work when they are timed perfectly. You may have a better idea but this is how we prepare them. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and set aside.

We barbecue, bake or fry the burgers, with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt sprinkled over top of each one. We usually take our hands and press the salt slightly into the top of the burger if they are store bought. If the burgers are homemade then I put the salt right into the burger mixture and we skip this salt step.

Once cooked, place them in the oven, on your prepared sheet, to keep warm.

In a large skillet prepare your bacon until crisp. Place on paper towel to drain.

As bacon is cooking slice or split your hamburger buns. You can toast or heat them if desired. We sometimes do and sometimes do not. That is up too you.

Smear peanut butter all over the bottom half of your buns. Quickly, as the bacon is cooked and drained, and still hot, place on top of the peanut butter.

Immediately after, place your hot burgers on top of the bacon. The idea here is to slightly melt and warm the peanut butter. Place the top half of your bun on top of the burger and serve immediately. We usually do not add anything else on top of the burger. Enjoy!

Welcome!

We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life Ken.
We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!